Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd says it will have a detailed plan for a new research reactor in three years.
Now, the federal government has identified a “large-scale research reactor” as part of its new nuclear energy strategy for Canada.
Federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson announced the new strategy on Monday.
“We are moving at speeds not seen in generations to get big things done and leveraging pre-existing strengths to become a modern energy superpower,” Hodgson said in his announcement.
Under nuclear innovation, the strategy says that one of the key objectives is to “invest in flagship research infrastructure, expanding research reactor capacity by the early 2030s, alongside a formal assessment of the case for a large-scale research reactor replacement.”
The strategy notes that the federal government has committed $2.2 billion over 10 years in capital investments at the Chalk River Laboratories “to allow AECL to combine the capabilities of outdated facilities into a modern facility and laboratory research complex that can support Canada’s continued nuclear energy leadership, including for CANDU technology; nuclear safety, security and forensics; small modular reactors; reactor fuel development; and supporting utilities with reactor life extension and reliability.”
But the strategy also notes that the shutdown of the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at Chalk River in 2018 “removed a cornerstone capability – one of the world’s largest research and test reactors since the 1950s – that had been critical to CANDU development, materials and fuel research, isotope production, and talent attraction.
“Replacing this infrastructure is a strategic priority, not simply a scientific one,” the strategy says…
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